Connections of the Heart
by night.scare
Summary: Humans are driven by the connections we have to one another. We build these connections, these bonds, without even realizing it until we're entangled amongst them. But it's the connections you don't even know you have that matter the most.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: **_Hey guys! night . scare here, also known as yoshi ftw, presenting my Kingdom Hearts story, Connections of the Heart, for the millionth time. This is the last time I'm editing this story, I swear! Or at least until I decide I hate it again. I'd love to hear what you all think of it, so review, favorite, whatever you'd like and enjoy! _

I suppose darkness isn't something we should fear.

Without the dark, there can be no light. Without the bad, there can be no good.

The hearts of every person contain darkness; whether it devours them completely or the light overcomes the darkness is up to them.

Sometimes though, one can't help but to let the darkness eat away at their heart.

No one is capable of fighting the darkness once they let it in.

It doesn't matter how strong a heart is; it only takes the tiniest of cracks to allow the darkness to slip in and consume you entirely.

I didn't know how powerful the darkness was then.

Much like the human heart, the heart of a world will easily succumb to darkness once it's been infiltrated and then it's only a matter of time before the world will crumble.

So many hearts taken and worlds destroyed, yet neither I nor the people of my world had a clue as to what was going on outside of our tiny planet, that is, until _they_ came.

The creatures from the darkness who ruined my world, who ripped the hearts from the people I loved and cared about.

I remember how dark it was that day, but darkness was nothing new to my world which was shrouded in it since the beginning of time. However, there was something so very wrong about the darkness that covered my world that day. The swirling storm clouds were a bad omen that no one acknowledged and the thunder drowned out the screams that echoed from miles away where the creatures had already invaded.

It wasn't very long before millions of pairs of dull, lifeless yellow eyes began to appear from the darkness. It was like a swarm of lotus. They came so fast and they spared nothing and no one. I'm not sure if anyone besides me got away from the world with their heart still intact.

The thought of being the sole survivor of my world terrified me. I didn't want it to be reality.

I suppose that's why I always _saw_ him, _heard_ him. Maybe it was my mind's own self-defense mechanism trying to protect me from the truth.

The truth that he was _gone_.

I never understood the meaning of his last words to me before the darkness consumed us both; those five simple words that would linger in my mind for the rest of my journey.

**I'll always be with you.**

If I knew then what I know now, I'm not sure how different my journey would have been, but I believe in my heart, I wouldn't have stopped looking for him because I still have hope that he's out there somewhere, waiting for me.

_I'll always be with you too._


	2. Dreams

**Author's Note: **_First chapter~ I've had this written up for quite some time now, I was just debating whether or not it was how I wanted it to be. I figured I'd just post it anyway and see if I get any feedback. Enjoy~ _

Dreams are a strange phenomenon.

Most of the time it doesn't seem as if you're in a dream at all; the impossible becomes the possible right before your eyes and yet you have no idea you're in a dream.

You find yourself walking down the street, a street that you've walked down hundreds of times. The same people wave to you and greet you as if you're on a Sunday stroll into town. Nothing seems out of the ordinary and it's just like any other day.

But how did you end up on the street?

What were you doing just five or ten minutes before then?

When you start questioning the authenticity of the world you've built in your head, it doesn't take very long for you to become aware of the imperfections that you seemed ignorant to just minutes before. You notice that a store isn't where it's supposed to be and the clerk at the gas station has hair much shorter than usual.

Your mind will start to race as you try to figure out what was going on despite the answer being so obvious. As you start to run through your dream world things will start to change, taking form of your worst fears and greatest desires and slowly, but surely, the thought that you might be in a dream will come to you.

Once you become fully aware that you're dreaming your consciousness will start to take over where your subconscious was. Your dream world will begin to fall apart and then you'll blink, but when you open your eyes you'll be staring at your ceiling and within a few seconds any recollection of your dream will be gone.

Or, at least that's how it usually goes for me.

Right now I couldn't tell you if I'm asleep or awake, but that's what happens in a dream, isn't it?

The black sand that found its way in between my toes feels as real as it ever has and the sound of the dark waves crashing against the shore is clear and ringing in my ears. I even smell the salt of the ocean.

Everything else seems so insignificant to the sound of the waves which is all I hear and want to hear. It makes me feel at home and I sit there for a few minutes, taking everything in.

It's only once the cold begins to bite at the tip of my nose that I realize I didn't have a jacket on and I wonder what happened to my jacket.

But did I even have a jacket to begin with?

The cold spreads through my body as I try to answer my own question and then I begin to think of if I had left it somewhere, but when I try to think of the places I might have left it, I can't seem to remember where I went today or where I was just a few minutes ago.

And then I see him standing knee deep in the water with his back turned to me as he gazes up at the moon which I had not taken notice of until now.

My eyebrows furrow as I stared at the heart-shaped moon which shined a pale yellow in the dark sky and it took me a moment to realize the moon wasn't supposed to be shaped like a heart.

My gaze fell back to the figure in the water and my feet began to move by themselves. The water was like ice, stinging at my feet and then my ankles and then before long, my knees. My hand reached out to him, my mouth voicing words that refused to come out as I ignored the numbness that was beginning to work its way up from my feet.

He cranes his head to look at me as my fingertips brush against his hand. His eyes were a green color, a dangerous yellow glow tinting them.

Disappointment weighs down on me like a ton of bricks when I discover he is not who I thought he was and I open my mouth to apologize but the yellow in his eyes has me hypnotized and no words can form. The feeling of someone grasping my hand in their own snaps me out of my daydreams and I look down to see him with a firm hold on me. When I look back up to his eyes, the yellow is much bolder than before and it's overwhelming. There is a sneer on his lips and I never get the chance to pull myself from his grip because the bitter cold of the ocean is no longer there; it's been replaced by the suffocating hold of swirling black shadows that are beginning to engulf the both of us.

A trembling fear racks my body as I try to free myself from him, my pleas muted and unheard by the smirking boy. Tears begin to form in my eyes as the shadows reach my neck and with one last gasp of air, I scrunch my eyes closed, waiting for whatever fate may have in store for me.

But nothing happens.

Instead, a pleasant warm feeling spreads over my skin. Painstakingly, I open my eyes, nearly being blinded by the most brilliant of lights I've ever seen.

My heart that was beating frantically just seconds ago had slowed down to a rhythmic thumping. I closed my eyes once more, basking in a warmth I've never experienced before.

When I opened my eyes again, my surroundings became clear to me; I was standing in crystal blue water, the sun shining from high up in the sky. For miles in front of me there was nothing but clear blue water.

It was the most beautiful sight I've ever laid eyes on.

The splashing of water caught my attention and I turned to look behind me; a boy with brown hair stood near the shoreline, a few feet in the water, he was yelling something at me but no words reached my ears. His blue eyes gazed at something behind me, panic clearly written across his face.

I looked over my shoulder, expecting to see the same calm, cerulean ocean that was there just a few seconds ago, but an enormous tidal wave greeted me instead.

My body froze as I was unable to do anything but stare in shock and horror at the wave that threatened to barrel down on me at any moment and it did with an immense force.

I felt myself being pushed down deeper and deeper into the ocean, deeper than I expected to go until the sun that once overpowered the sky with its heat and radiance was nothing but a speck above me, barely shining in the darkness that I drifted down into.

I don't think I ever found out where my jacket went, or if I even had a jacket.

Was this even real?

It feels real.

But most dreams do.

Maybe I'm dreaming.

My eyes fluttered closed as the light above faded into the shadows, leaving me in the darkness with no guiding light.

Solid ground appeared beneath my feet and my knees nearly gave out from under me.

My eyes opened just in time to see hundreds of doves fly off from the ground, allowing light to shine up from it.

Just as quickly as they opened, my eyes closed once more, the light breeze from the flapping of wings created a cooling draft all around me.

This is all a dream.

I heard a cracking, like land splitting apart from an earthquake, but I refused to open my eyes.

This is all a dream.

The ground underneath me shook violently and I tried to keep my balance.

This is all a dream.

I could hear it, the platform I was on crumbling away into the darkness.

This is all a dream.

The floor under me collapsed and I held back a scream as I fell with it.

This is all a dream.

The feel of cold brick against my bare calves was the first thing to fill my senses. The second was the smell of rotten garbage and rain.

I forced my eyelids open.

My vision was blurry, but it started to clear as I blinked a few times, allowing me to take in my surroundings.

I was in an alleyway.

Not on a beach or floating in darkness.

It was all a dream.

I let out a sigh of relief before resting against brick wall that was damp from rain, or at least I hoped it was rain. The moment my clothed back touched the wall there was a surge of pain that I had failed to notice before that spread through my entire body.

With a grunt, I lifted my right arm, grasping the left side of my ribcage that ached with pain and I wasn't sure if one or two of my ribs might've been broken, or just bruised.

Taking in a deep breath, I readied myself before attempting to stand up, not knowing whether or not I'd be able to. My joints groaned in protest as I lifted myself up off the ground, using the wall as support. The muscles in my thighs and calves throbbed as though I'd run fifty or so miles without rest. I stood there for a moment, letting my body adjust to the movement.

When the pain subsided, leaving just a dull ache, I began taking it a step at a time, slowly moving towards the entrance of the alleyway; stopping in front of a broken mirror to see if I looked as badly beat up as I felt.

There were a few scrapes along my face and my chapped lips were busted open as well, the blood already drying and beginning to scab over. Around my left eye, a sickly yellow bruise was forming, clashing with the light brown color of my eye.

My short, dark brown hair was matted with what looked like blood, and when a twinge of pain spread through my head when I gingerly touched a certain spot at the back, I knew that it was my blood. I winced as I put more pressure on it, not sure if I had a concussion or not. I looked at my hand; happy to see no blood smeared on it, meaning I was no longer bleeding, but I had a feeling I should have it checked out as soon as possible.

"Mom's going to think I got in a fight again." I muttered to myself as I poked a finger through a hole that was at the bottom of my forest green baseball jersey. There were several other tears in my shirt, but luckily nothing that revealed anything that shouldn't be seen. My jean shorts which were already ripped at mid-thigh to begin with were even more ripped up now and I was afraid any wrong movement would cause them to rip completely at the seam.

Looking down at my shoes, I noticed they weren't in too bad of shape, just a bit dirty and torn, but nothing too awful. At least I wouldn't have to walk around barefooted.

Fortunately, my baseball bat case was still firmly in place over my shoulder and across my chest and my lucky hat was attached to my belt loop, only a bit grimy and with a few stray tears.

I straightened out, ignoring the pain that shot through my spine and other parts of my body as I did so, "Wonder where I am?" I asked aloud as I ventured even further towards the exit of the alley, examining everything around me.

It reminded me of my town and for a moment I thought I might have been in a part of my town I just didn't recognize. The starry sky above reminded me of the endless nights where I'd gaze up at the stars as if they held all the answers in the universe. This place had the same feel to it that my city had.

I'm not sure whether or not I liked it.

When I exited the alleyway, I seemed to be in a town square. Street lights provided enough light to get around without walking into anything, but still gave off an eerie feel, as if something might pop out at you at any moment.

The neon lights did nothing to help, instead they gave off a creepy glow and the fact no one was out and about made me feel uneasy.

"This is so weird." I mumbled to myself as I walked towards the stairs that led up to a large pair of wooden doors.

"Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity." A bubbly and energetic voice called out from behind me.

I nearly jumped out of my skin as a shriek threatened to escape and in one swift motion I spun on my heel, coming face to face with large chocolate brown eyes and a grinning face.

A loud screech escaped from my throat as I stumbled backwards, managing to trip myself and land on my rear. I scrambled away from the girl who looked just a few years older than myself and not much of a threat, but you can never be too careful. She didn't seem too bothered by my actions seeing as how the grin on her face was still in place.

I studied her figure carefully, first taking notice of the shameless outfit she was wearing; a barely there green tube top and yellow shorts that only just fell to her upper thigh. To be honest she looked a bit out of place with her brightly colored clothes and smiling face. And just what the hell is she smiling about? Is she going to say anything or is she just going to stand there like an idiot?

There was a long awkward silence that enveloped us as she continued to smile and I continued to stare. Slowly she blinked, her smile disappearing as her gaze drifted down to my fallen form, "Eh? What are you doing on the floor?"

I felt the vein at my temple throb as I glared at her in annoyance, "You're the one that appeared out of nowhere and scared me!" My screams echoed long after I stopped and I could feel the blood rush to my face in anger.

She blinked again, a dumb look on her face, "I did?" She looked as though she was thinking about it before a sheepish grin took over, "Ahaha, oops."

Taking in a deep breath, I heaved myself up off the ground, brushing the invisible dirt off of my clothes, "Who are you anyway?" I asked my voice at a more reasonable level all the while gritting my teeth as my ribs throbbed from the sudden movements.

Her hands placed themselves on her hips as her feet spread shoulder length apart; her chin held high as she loudly declared, "I'm the_ great_ ninja Yuffie!"

"Right…" I averted my vision from her, "Well, the _great_ ninja Yuffie," Sarcasm laced my voice, "-can you tell me where I am?"

"You're in Traverse Town, of course!" She informed me, as if it had been obvious to begin with.

Irritation prodded me uncontrollably, how the hell was I supposed to know that, it's not like there was a sign anywhere around here telling me where I am.

Just then my eyes caught sight of a neon sign, the words 'Welcome to Traverse Town' flashed on and off and the feeling of humiliation washed over me like a tidal wave.

"What's your name?" Yuffie asked, not noticing the complete change in the air around me.

"Jaci." I mumbled before following it with a, "I've never even heard of Traverse Town."

Yuffie cupped her chin in a thoughtful manner, "You must be from another world."

My eyebrow quirked at that statement as she managed to fully capture my attention, "Wait, what?"

"A lot of people wind up here when their worlds are destroyed."

"But my world wasn't des-" Images rushed through my mind; yellow eyes and darkness, "N-no, that was just a d-dream. That couldn't have possibly…" There was a burning in my throat as my hands began to shake, "M-my world…"

Yuffie's eyebrows furrowed with concern as she stared at me, her lips downturned in a frown, "I'm sorry Jaci."

I brought a quivering hand over my eyes, trying to push back the urge to cry as my throat clenched, making it hard to breathe.

"This isn't happening." I muttered over and over again, making it my own personal mantra.

"Jaci…"

I shook my head, refusing to look at her, "This isn't happening! This is a dream. It's just a dream. I'll wake up, and I'll be at home and everything will be fine!"

"Jaci…"

I blinked over and over again, waiting for the world to start crumbling, waiting to see my plain white ceiling but all I saw was Yuffie standing there, a worried look ingrained on her face.

"Jaci, it's not a dream."

My heart hurt, like someone was squeezing and squeezing, tighter and tighter, not letting go.

What happened to everyone else?

What happened to my mom?

What happened to _him_?

Where were they?

If this is where people come when their world is destroyed, then where the hell were they?

"Yuffie…"

She looked at me, as if she already knew what I was going to ask.

"Are the other people from my world even alive?"

Her silence gave me the answer I needed.


	3. Beginnings

I was somewhere between conscious and unconscious as Yuffie led me through Traverse Town in search of someone called "Squall". The grip she had on my wrist was tight, but I barely noticed anything as I staggered behind her, allowing her to drag me wherever she pleased.

Physically I was there, but my mind was stuck elsewhere as I desperately tried to sort out the entire situation in my head. I suppose I was trying to come to terms with what was happening.

There were so many thoughts flowing in my head;

_What exactly happened to my world?_

_How did I end up here?_

_What were those things that came from the darkness?_

_Was I going to be stuck here forever?_

"There he is!" Yuffie shouted, clutching onto me tighter as she picked up her pace, heading towards a tall, sword wielding man who stood over an unconscious boy who couldn't have been any older than I was, "Squall!" She called out, gaining the attention of the man who made no notion of greeting her.

He just stared at her, a look of annoyance clouding his blue eyes as the sword he held in his hand, which upon further inspection seemed to be a hybrid between a blade and a gun, disappeared in a dull flash of light.

My gaze shifted to the boy who was still lying on the cold brick floor, neither Yuffie nor "Squall" going to pick him up, "Is he alright?" I asked, leaning over, trying to get a better look at his face.

"He'll be fine." Yuffie said cheerily, slapping me reassuringly on the back, "I'm surprised you're just finishing with him now, Squall. You must be slipping."

He just glared at her, grunting, "It's Leon," Before turning back to the kid on the ground, "I went easy on him. It looks like things are worse than we thought… a lot worse." His eyes wandered to me, "Who are you?"

My eyebrow ticked in irritation at the man's rudeness, "Jaci."

Leon nodded slightly before hauling the boy up from the ground and onto his shoulder, allowing me a better view of his face. Judging from the baby fat still on his cheeks he was definitely younger than me, maybe by a year or two. His hair which was a plain shade of brown, similar to my own, stuck up at odd angles, giving him what looked like the worst bed-head imaginable.

"Come on." Leon said to Yuffie and me as he began to walk in the direction we came from.

All the while I couldn't shake the feeling that I recognized that boy from somewhere.

* * *

As we walked to wherever it was we were going, I took in the layout of the town, something I should've done before but had been too busy delving into my own thoughts to really care at the time.

There seemed to be different districts, I've only been to two, but there might be more. According to Yuffie, District One is the safest, seeing as how there are no little creatures crawling about there, but in District Two, the part of Traverse Town where we just so happened to be, there are quite a few as I soon found out.

"Watch it, Yuffie." Leon called to the ninja who was already leaping in action as a swarm of them appeared from the shadows. He couldn't do much seeing as how he was carrying the boy and it was hard enough for him to dodge the creatures' swipes at him never mind actually going on the offensive.

One of them turned their attention to me and as I stared at the glowing yellow eyes, I remembered those eyes.

"Jaci, get behind me." Yuffie ordered as she threw a flurry of shuriken at the creatures who all screeched with pain before collapsing to the ground, their bodies evaporating in thin air as a light pink heart appeared where the body was. The hearts floated higher and higher in the air before disappearing in the darkness of the night.

I didn't have much of a chance to do as Yuffie told me due to a majority of the creatures' beady yellow eyes turning to me, obviously setting me as their target.

"Oh crap." I took a step back, panic rising from deep in my gut as I felt the cold brick wall of a building behind me.

I tore my eyes from the advancing creatures to look to Yuffie and Leon for help, only to find them with their hands full, trying to fend off the hoards of black monsters that had just appeared from the shadows after Yuffie had finished off the other ones.

I needed something, anything.

"My bat!" I all but shouted, my hand grasping at the top of my bat case, popping the cap off easily before sliding my bat out of the case. My face hardened as I stared at the creatures that were nearly five feet from me and were quickly coming closer. The grip I had on my bat tightened as I got into position, my arms poised, ready to swing at the beady-eyed monsters.

I had a feeling I had gotten myself into a bit more than I bargained for with this entire ordeal.

* * *

My shoulders felt stiff and heavy and there was little relief as I slouched down into a chair of the hotel room Leon led us to after our scrap with what he and Yuffie called "Heartless". My bat was still in my hands as I didn't want to be caught unprepared again anytime soon. There was a scowl on my face as I gave it a once over for the first time, realizing that it had acquired quite a few dents and scratches from the beatings I gave the Heartless with it.

Yuffie sat across from me at the table as Leon placed the boy down on the single bed in the room, leaning the boy's weapon up against the wall next to the bed before leaning up against the wall himself.

At that point, a silence had taken over the room. It wasn't awkward but then again it wasn't too comfortable either. It made me anxious. I wanted to ask questions. I wanted to get answers. But the silence was intimidating and I didn't want to be the one to break it so instead I took to examining the unconscious boy on the bed.

He had a cherub-like face. One of a boy who hadn't reached puberty yet and still had that baby fat on his face that made him look like a ten year old. If it wasn't for his height, which was almost the same as mine, I would have mistaken him for someone five years younger than myself. He had plain brown hair, like my own, only his stuck up at odd angles which I was sure wouldn't be possible without the use of gallons upon gallons of gel and a few bottles of hairspray. My gaze wandered to the large key that was the boy's weapon according to Leon. I'm not quite sure how a key of all things could be used as a weapon, but I guess if you were able to hit someone hard enough it'd have the same effect as a bat.

I heard Yuffie take a breath, as if to talk, but I didn't pay her any mind due to the boy shifting on the bed. I immediately got up and leaned over the bed, checking to make sure he was okay only to see his eyes twitch slightly before he slowly opened them. His eyes were a shade of blue I could've sworn I've seen before but I just couldn't place it.

It took a moment before he uttered a barely audible, "Kairi?"

When I realized I was still staring into his eyes, I backed up slightly, "Kairi?" I repeated.

It took him a while to blink but when he did, he quickly scrambled away from me, "You're not Kairi!"

Yuffie appeared out of nowhere and bent over the bed, poking the kid in the head with her index finger before turning to look at Leon over her shoulder, "I think you gave him a concussion or somethin', Squall. Didn't you say you went easy on him?"

Leon glared at Yuffie, his mouth set in a frown showing his frustration with the girl, "My name is Leon."

I sat back down in the chair I had occupied before, "So," I spoke up gaining the attention of the other three occupants of the room, "Isn't it about time that someone started to explain some of this?" I asked.

The boy timidly raised his hand as if he were in school before Leon could answer my question, "Um, who are you guys, anyway?"

Yuffie was the first to speak, placing a hand on her hip while the other pointed to herself, a look of arrogance on her face as she introduced herself to the boy the same way she introduced herself to me a few hours previously, "I'm the _great_ ninja Yuffie!"

Leon gave a slight roll of his eyes but otherwise ignored his companion's antics, "Leon."

"Jaci." I told the boy who nodded before introducing himself.

"I'm Sora." His eyes wandered over to the Keyblade, as did Leon's who wasted no time to begin his explanation now that introductions had been made.

"The Keyblade." He gestured to it, "We had to get it away from you to shake those creatures."

"It turns out that's how they were tracking you!" Yuffie jumped in.

"It was the only way to conceal your heart from them, but it won't work for long." Leon said as he walked over to the Keyblade, picking it up, "Still hard to believe that you of all people are the chosen one." The Keyblade disappeared from his grasp and reappeared in Sora's hands, "Well, I suppose beggars can't be choosers."

"That still doesn't explain anything." I told him, still trying to piece together all of this information and how it related to the destruction of my world and how I ended up here in Traverse Town.

"Yeah!" Sora nodded, agreeing with me, "Why don't you start making sense?!" His deep blue eyes were clouded with confusion.

"There are many worlds out there besides your own and this one." Leon started.

"They're supposed to be a secret and they were because they've never been connected." Yuffie picked up, "Until now." Her demeanor had changed slightly at the topic of conversation, "When the Heartless came, everything changed."

"Heartless?" Sora asked.

"The ones who attacked you."

"Those without hearts. The darkness in people's hearts - that's what attracts them. And there is darkness within every heart." Leon said and my gaze focused on the floor.

Heartless, huh? My eyebrows furrowed and my hands clenched at the ripped fabric of my jeans. They're the reason why I'm here. Why my friends and family are gone. I couldn't help the anger that was gnawing at my heart.

* * *

A crash outside of the hotel room sent everyone on high alert, "Looks like they've gotten a whiff of the Key." Leon said, "Yuffie, you go ahead and take Jaci with you."

I was hesitant to follow after Yuffie, "But-"

"Go!" Leon ordered and I nodded, running after Yuffie who had joined up with a woman wearing a light pink dress.

"Yuffie!" I called out as I caught up to her and the other woman, "Are they going to be alright?"

"They'll be fine." She said, trying to reassure me, but the knot in my stomach told me otherwise and in a very uncharacteristic turn of events, I skidded to a stop, my old worn out trainers squeaking against the damp brick ground.

"I'm going to help." I turned on my heel, ignoring Yuffie's protests as I sprinted towards the alleyway where Sora and Leon had disappeared in. I don't know why, but I knew my place wasn't with Yuffie at this moment.

When I rounded the corner, I saw Sora having trouble with a few Heartless, not even noticing one sneaking up behind him and with Leon nowhere to be found, I had to take some initiative.

"Sora! Duck!" I quickly gripped my bat which I hadn't let go since my first encounter with the Heartless in Traverse Town. I swung at the Heartless as Sora ducked out of the way and I didn't pay any mind to my bat as it began to glow a brilliant shade of gold. I whipped around, slashing at another Heartless.

Sora turned to me, "Thanks a lo-" He paused, mouth gaping slightly, "Whoa! Nice sword!"

"Swor-" I followed his gaze to my right hand where my bat should've been, but instead found myself holding onto a sword, "Things keep getting weirder and weirder." I mumbled to myself as I examined the sword in my hand; the blade was a gleaming silver and I held it up to my face, seeing my reflection as clear as day in it. Intricate carvings adorned the blade on one side, an inscription in some foreign language. The hilt was a golden color, silver designs were on the grip and hanging off of the end was a keychain with a charm similar to the one on Sora's Keyblade, except it was a gold, not silver.

I tested out the swing of the sword a bit, noticing the way it sliced through the air with ease. I wasn't big on weaponry and wouldn't exactly be called an expert in the area, but I knew a nice sword when I saw one.

"Jaci, c'mon! We gotta catch up with Leon!" I nodded, following after Sora, slicing our way through the Heartless. We ran through a pair of doors, the sign above it reading, **Third District**, before we could even make it two feet into the district, I heard voices above us.

I looked up, "Duck?!" I shouted in confusion.

"What?!" Sora ducked, covering his head only to be crushed by the weight of two bodies falling on top of him. I took a step back, thankful it had been Sora who had been leading the way into the district otherwise I'd likely be under that pile.

"Ow..." Sora groaned.

"The Key!" The two creatures who had landed on top of Sora exclaimed as they caught sight of the Keyblade that was still firmly gripped in Sora's hand.

"Uh... could you get off of him?" I piped up.

The two scrambled off of Sora and a rumble was heard as I helped Sora up off the floor. The walls began to sprout up from the ground, blocking us in the large courtyard area of the district.

"What's going on?" I asked as the sky flashed slightly, a large round object coming barreling to the ground, other objects resembling limbs began to attach to it, forming an enormous Heartless.

"Not again..." Sora groaned while the large dog-like creature blocked a blow from the Heartless with his shield.

"We'll watch your back!" The duck exclaimed, "We gotta beat this guy together!"

I inwardly groaned at the notion of teamwork, but readied myself for battle regardless.

* * *

"You were looking for me?" Sora asked the two creatures who had helped us defeat the Heartless.

I glanced at my bat which had returned to normal after the battle. For whatever reason, I couldn't get it to transform back into a sword. Sighing, I placed it back into the case strapped to my back.

"They were seeking the Bearer of the Keyblade." Leon told Sora.

"So, you wanna go with us? We'll be travelin' to different worlds on our ship!" The duck said, smiling slightly.

"... and Riku and Kairi'll..." Sora muttered.

"You'll find them!" The duck promised.

"Really?" The dog asked only to have the duck grab him by the ear, pulling the dog down to his level and murmur something in his ear.

"Sora, go with them." Sora turned to look at Leon, "They'll help you find your friends."

I bit at my lip, my heart longing for the chance to go with them. If I went with them, maybe I'd find him.

"I'll go," Sora confirmed, "But Jaci has to come, too!" He looked at me and smiled, causing my lips to turn up slightly.

"Okay!" The dog said quickly before the duck could protest my addition to the group.

"But!" The duck interrupted, "We can't let you on the ship as you are." He shook his finger at Sora and I, "No sad faces are allowed. Smile! This ship runs on happy faces!"

"Smiles, huh? Like this?!" Sora got a big goofy grin on his face and they began laughing loudly at his expression while my lips twitched into a tight smile, a small chuckle erupting from the back of my throat.

"Donald." The duck held out his hand, introducing himself.

"I'm Goofy!" The dog held out his hand also, putting it on top of Donald's.

"I'm Sora." He put his hand on top of theirs and they all looked at me expectedly.

"Jaci." I placed my hand on top.

"All for one and one for all!" Goofy cheered.

"Hey Jaci!" Yuffie called out to me from the sidelines intervening on the merry unity of our quartet, "I think you need new clothes."

I glanced down at my torn and worn out attire which had definitely seen better days and laughed nervously, "You got any clothing stores around here?"

Yuffie grinned at Aerith, both of them grabbing me by my upper arms, dragging me in some random direction and I couldn't help the dread that suddenly filled my entire being.

What did I get myself into.

* * *

"Yuffie, my arm doesn't twist that way!"

"Stop being a baby, Jaci!"

"Ah, Yuffie, I think you should be more gentle with her. You really might break her arm."

Outside of the store stood Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Leon who had somewhat disturbed looks on their faces at the noises coming from within the building in front of them, "Um, maybe we should go get some supplies." Sora suggested.

"Yeah, supplies!" Donald agreed.

"Supplies! Right!" Goofy nodded going along with the other two.

"See ya, Leon!" The trio quickly waved to Leon, leaving him behind to deal with the three girls.

"Bastards." Leon mumbled, leaning against the brick wall of the building, ignoring my screams of agony as Yuffie nearly yanked my arm out its socket.

* * *

"Hey guys." I groaned, rubbing my arms slightly, walking towards my traveling partners adorning my new duds which consisted of a bright orange jersey, a forest green jacket with short sleeves and a furry hood, dark jean shorts that came just above my knees and sneakers that went just below my knees. An improvement if nothing else from my previous clothes.

"You look nice!" Sora complimented.

I felt myself flush a bit, "Er, thanks." I scratched my cheek a bit as if to scratch away the red that was on my cheeks, "Did you guys get everything we needed?"

"Yup, let's go!" Sora grinned as he began marching towards where Donald and Goofy's ship should be.

I followed after him, my mind wandering to those I left behind when my world was destroyed and I nodded a bit to myself, determination flooding through me as I promised myself that I was going to find him no matter what.


	4. Wonderland

A group had gathered together, taking refuge in the dark as they sat around a table discussing the matter at hand.

"That little squirt took down the Heartless! Who would've known?!" One voice spoke.

"Such is the power of the Keyblade. The child's strength is not his own." Another voice echoed in the darkness.

"Why don't we turn him into a Heartless? That'll settle things quick enough." A more malicious feminine voice sounded.

"And those two are the King's lackeys. They're all bilge rats by the looks of them!"

"You're no prize yourself." Deep laughter filled the room after the comment, followed by a 'Shut up!'

"Enough." Silence overcame the room as a woman's voice was heard, "The Keyblade has chosen him," A sinister smile that could be seen even through the darkness came across the woman's face, "... and it's by no mere coincidence that the girl has joined them." The others in the room looked at her expectedly, "She's what we've been looking for; the Door." Slight gasps were heard as the woman continued talking, "Will they conquer the darkness? Or will the darkness swallow them? Either way, they're both quite useful."

* * *

When we boarded the 'Gummi Ship', as Donald had called it, Sora and I were bombarded by two chipmunks who, apparently, were the ships mechanics. The two had scolded us for not taking off our shoes when entering. I begrudgingly began to unlace my shoes, placing them next to Sora's.

"Shoes off! I won't have ya dirtying up the cockpit!" One of the chipmunks ordered.

"Honestly, kids these days." The one with the red nose huffed as he scrubbed at the smudges of dirt on the floor which were left from our shoes.

Chip and Dale were their names and it seemed as though Sora was getting used to the whole idea of talking animals faster than I was because when Jiminy Cricket popped out to introduce himself, I nearly keeled over.

"Haven't forgotten anything, have you?" Donald asked us, "If not, fasten your seat belts, we'll be taking off shortly."

Sora and I sat down in seats next to each other and buckled ourselves in. I wouldn't admit it out loud, but I was a bit giddy about being able to fly through space although when we took off, I could see Sora did not share my excitement. As we blasted off

I heard him groan a bit and his face paled, "Getting airsick, Sora?" I asked.

He merely gave me a bland look and tried not to focus on the rocking of the ship.

"Sora! Jaci!" Donald called out, "Take a look out the window! Go ahead, you can get up and look!"

I unbuckled myself and stepped towards the window, admiring the cosmos that were all around us, "Wow." I sighed a bit dreamily, "You gotta see this." I waved for Sora to come over and he did, albeit, a bit sluggishly, but as soon as he caught sight of the view outside the window, he perked right up.

"Woah!" His mouth hung open in awe, "Wish Riku and Kairi were here to see this..."

It seemed as though the trip was done within the blink of an eye because no sooner had we gotten up to admire the view did Donald announce that we had arrived at our destination.

"Already?" Sora asked.

"What's this world called?" I asked as I pressed my face to the window, trying to get a better look at the world.

"This is Wonderland!" Donald told us.

"I can hardly wait!" Sora beamed, the excitement radiating off of him.

"Don't just jump the airlock, though. That's a bit dangerous." Donald said as he glanced out the door of the Gummi Ship, "Have to look both ways before exiting."

"Gotta be careful!" Goofy said cheerfully as he and Donald walked out once Donald confirmed the coast was clear.

Sora and I watched in horror as our new companions walked out onto nothing but air, "Guys! Below you!"

"Ahyuk." Was all Goofy managed to get out before they were sent plummeting to the ground, but not before Sora tried to grab his hand and when Sora started to fall I latched onto Sora only to be caught in a chain reaction and before I knew it we were free falling.

We landed in a heap on a checkered floor, each of us groaning in pain.

"Not exactly how I thought our journey would start." I grumbled as I rubbed my sore back.

As Donald was about to get up, a small white rabbit bounced off of his head, "I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date!" It called out as he scurried along frantically checking its pocket watch for the time, "No time to say hello goodbye, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!" He seemed to pay us no mind, "The Queen she'll have me beheaded, as sure as ferrets are ferrets!"

Sora, Goofy, and I could do nothing but stare blankly at the scene before us, "What was that?" I asked.

Donald, however, was a completely different story and I heard him growl as he stood up, "Let's follow!" We trailed behind the rabbit, rather pathetically since we could barely keep up with his quick pace, "Wait, I said!" Donald yelled.

By the time we rounded the corner, the rabbit was no where to be seen.

"Pulled a fast one on us, he did." Goofy mumbled as he looked around.

"Wonder where he went?" Sora asked to no one in particular.

I glanced around the room, looking for any spot the small rabbit could be hiding in or had escaped to, but what caught my eye was a miniature sized rabbit identical to the one we had been chasing scurrying across the floor, "Look." I pointed out as the rabbit fled through a small door at the other side of the room, "He's bite-sized."

"How'd he get so small?" Sora questioned before pointing at the door, "Lookit how tiny this door is!"

"I beg your pardon, but it isn't that I'm tiny. You're simply too large." We all jumped back as the doorknob spoke, an irritated look on its face, "Needn't be so loud. If you wish to pass, simply ingest the contents of that bottle on the table there. And do hurry up about it. Haven't got all day, you see? I've sleep to catch up on."

I picked up one of the bottles on the table, the one the Doorknob had spoke of and sniffed at it, making a face as I found the smell to be extremely unpleasant, "Here, Sora. You first." I told the younger boy, holding the bottle out to him.

Sora whined, "Why do I have to be the test dummy?"

"Because you're the dummy." I insisted as I pushed the bottle into his hand, urging him to take a sip. Sora gave it a whiff, making the same face I did, but tipped the bottle to his lips. There was a puff of smoke and when it faded there stood a tiny Sora instead. My lips formed an 'O' as I kneeled down, poking at him with my finger, "You're so small."

He swatted at my hand, "Now you guys drink it!"

I picked up the bottle, giving Sora second glance before shrugging and taking a sip. Before I knew it, I was standing face to face with Sora looking up at Donald and Goofy.

"This is really weird." I commented and Sora nodded in agreement while Donald and Goofy both took sips from the bottle.

We walked up to the Doorknob once everyone was bite-sized and Sora called out to him, "Hey! Open up!"

The reply he got was a loud, obnoxious snore.

Placing my hands on my hips, I glared at the sleeping Doorknob, "You have got to be kidding me."

"Ahyuk! Over here, guys!" Goofy called out. We looked over at him to find him standing in front of a hole behind the bed, "We can get in through here, prob'ly!"

I took a peek inside the hole, seeing nothing at the end but darkness and dirt. I was about to protest, but my companions all started towards the hole, crawling through despite the dirt and no seeming end.

"Oh yes, let's crawl through a creepy, dark hole in a world which we know nothing about except for the fact that a doorknob can talk! Brilliant idea, guys." I grumbled as I reluctantly followed after them.

Sora, who was in front of me, laughed, "Lighten up! It's an adventure!" I gave a groan in response.

The further we crawled into the hole, the clearer and clearer we could hear trumpets play, until finally, we were at the end, where a gorgeous garden full of red roses met our sights.

"Court is now in session!"

A young, blonde girl stood in front of a rather large and ugly woman with a crown on her head, "The girl is the culprit, there's no doubt about it!" The woman fanned herself, "And the reason is, because I say so that's why!"

We stood at the back of the garden, watching as the scene unfolded.

"That's so unfair!" The girl defended herself, "I've done absolutely nothing wrong! I don't know whether or not it's true that you're a queen, but I've never seen anyone so selfish and mean!"

"Little girl," The Queen started, "Are you intentionally attempting to anger me?"

"Anyone got any idea what's going on?" I whispered and all three of them shook their heads.

"I find the defendant, Alice, guilty as charged!" The Queen announced.

Alice looked near tears as she tried to argue, "How can you.."

"You are guilty of the theft attempted upon the heart of the Queen of Hearts!"

"A heart?" I echoed, "Think it has anything to do with the Heartless?"

Sora nodded, "I think we should help her out."

"Absolutely not." Donald told him, "We can't go around meddling in the affairs of other worlds!"

"Against the rules, that is." Goofy told us.

"Off with her head!" The Queen shouted.

"No, no!" Alice looked panicked, "Oh, please!" She begged.

It was then that I noticed Sora was no longer at my side, "Oh, brother..." I mumbled.

"Hold it right there!"

Donald slapped his hand to his face which held a look of agitation, "Jeez."

I followed after Sora, looking at Donald as I passed him, "I think you bit off a bit more than you can chew with this one."

"You're telling me." Donald grumbled as he and Goofy trailed behind me.

* * *

A series of events led up to me being thrown into a cage with the little, blonde girl who was apparently called Alice while Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran off to the forest in search of evidence that proved Alice's innocence.

I leaned against the bars of the cage and attempted at a conversation with the little girl, "How'd you end up here, anyway?"

She paused, as if she wasn't sure I'd believe her if she told me, "Well, you see, I fell down a rabbit hole while chasing the White Rabbit." She looked to me, almost like she was waiting for me to stop her tale, "I accidentally wandered into the Queen's garden and that's when she accused me of trying to steal her heart."

I was silent for a moment, "She's a real nutter, that one." I jerked my head in the direction of the Queen who was busy picking her teeth, "Don't worry, though. Sora, Donald, and Goofy won't let you get beheaded. They'll prove your innocence."

Alice gave a sigh and folded her hands in her lap, "I do hope so."

One of the Card Soldiers rapped on the cage with his lance, "No talking amongst the prisoners!" He ordered.

I scowled at him, but kept quiet otherwise. It was going to be a long wait.

* * *

I peeked out of the cage as I heard a Card Soldier scream in surprise; a Soldier Heartless had emerged from the forest with Sora, Donald, and Goofy following after it.

"There's your proof!" Sora shouted at the Queen, "Alice is innocent, now let her and Jaci go!"

With all the commotion outside, no one seemed to notice the silver-haired boy unlocking the cage. He looked as though he was surprised to see me in the cage with Alice.

"Who are you?" I asked and he just gave me a smirk before grabbing Alice and vanishing from sight.

As I thought of the boy's aqua eyes and silver hair, the same feeling of familiarity came over me as when I first saw Sora.

Why do I feel like I knew him from somewhere?

* * *

After a long, drawn out fight with the Card Soldiers, the Queen had sent us out in search of Alice or else she'd have our heads chopped off.

"I don't understand why we're listening to her. We should just leave." I mumbled as I followed after my companions in the Lotus Forest.

"We need to find out what happened to Alice!" Sora told me.

I sighed, "I already told you, Sora, she's _gone_."

"Oh yes," Came a smooth voice, "Neither here nor there, gone with the shadows." I blinked in surprise as a purple cat materialized in front of us, "Poor Alice." The cat lamented.

"Have you seen her?!" Sora asked the strange cat.

"Negative." The cat said, still grinning, "The cat, the culprit, and the answer do all in darkness lie. I shall show what shadows lurk in the heart of the world..." The cat motioned for us to follow and reluctantly, we did.

* * *

"Here, here." The cat called as we walked into the bizarre room where the Doorknob was.

"Where?" Donald asked.

"Patience, patience," The cat grinned as the tip of his claw lit up with a flame, "Have you heard?" He lit the lamps on the walls and a shadow engulfed us, "Where there is the brightest of flames, there is the darkest of shadows..." He lounged on the table as an enormous Heartless appeared, swinging flaming clubs, "You've prepared your hearts for the worst? If not, too bad!"

I clenched my bat in my hands as Sora and Donald shouted at the deceitful cat, "You lied to us?!"

"I lie, you say? Nay, I need not. The Cheshire Cat takes heart in aiding those in need."

The Heartless brought down a flaming club on us, catching the back of Sora's pants on fire, "Hot! Hot! Hot!" He shouted as he ran about while I started bashing the Heartless' legs with my bat, but to no avail.

I nearly got hit in the face with the flaming club as the Heartless tried to swat me away had I not rolled to the side just milliseconds beforehand.

"Rather a miracle you've made it this far..." The cat commented, "It is but a pittance, but I shall grant to you what strength you lack."

A flurry of snowflakes was brought down upon us and I stared curiously as my bat began to glitter ever so slightly.

"Hot!" Donald cried out as his tail feather was lit on fire.

"Donald!" Sora pointed his Keyblade at Donald and a flurry of snowflakes came out of the end, putting out the fire on Donald's rear.

"What was that?" I questioned and I too shot out a snowflakes from the end of my bat as I experimented with the new magic that was bestowed upon us.

"The Bearer of the Key and the Door..." The cat started as he balanced on his head, "It'd be a true pity if you didn't know how to use magic, wouldn't it?"

I gripped my bat as we prepared ourselves to face the enemy once more, but my mind couldn't shake what the cat had just referred to me as.

The Door?

* * *

The battle ended with the enormous Heartless in frozen, shattered pieces on the floor.

I tapped one of the pieces before complimenting Sora, "Good job!"

As if on cue, the sleeping Doorknob roused from his sleep, "Dear lord, what _is_ the racket?" He mumbled tiredly "Do humor me a bit and tone down the brawl, could you? A doorknob can't be getting any rest around her, he can't..." As he opened his mouth to yawn, he revealed a small keyhole.

"What is that?" Sora asked as he leaned in closer to look only to have his Keyblade emit a blinding light which shone into the keyhole, a faint clicking noise could be heard as the light died down.

We blinked as Sora examined his Keyblade, "Sounded like something being locked."

Goofy bent down to pick something up off the ground, "Ahyuk, it's a Gummi block!"

"Superb performance, boy." The Cheshire Cat commented, clapping his paws together gaining everyone's attention, "That's a show of innate talent, that display. Your powers really do bloom true, if I do say. Keep it up and you'll be a florist some day!"

Sora was on the defensive as he glowered at the cat, "Whose side are you on?"

"Alice has passed from this world, to where I cannot speak. Borne off by the shadows, she has fallen to the darkness of obscurity."

I frowned and was left just as confused as the others as to the Cheshire Cat's cryptic message. This journey will not be an easy one.


End file.
